2018 Book 245: IT ALL FALLS DOWN by Sheena Kamal

The brilliant, fearless, deeply flawed Nora Watts—introduced in the "utterly compelling" (Jeffery Deaver) atmospheric thriller The Lost Ones—finds deadly trouble as she searches for the truth about her dead father in this immersive thriller that moves from the hazy Canadian Pacific Northwest to the gritty, hollowed streets of DetroitGrowing up, Nora Watts only knew one parent—her father. When he killed himself, she denied her grief and carried on with her life. Then a chance encounter with a veteran who knew him raises disturbing questions Nora can't ignore—and dark emotions she can't control. To make her peace with the past, she has to confront it.

Finding the truth about her father's life and his violent death takes her from Vancouver to Detroit where Sam Watts grew up, far away from his people and the place of his birth. Thanks to a disastrous government policy starting in the 1950s, thousands of Canadian native children like Sam were adopted by American families. In the Motor City, Nora discovers that the circumstances surrounding Sam's suicide are more unsettling than she'd imagined.

Yet no matter how far away Nora gets from Vancouver, she can't shake trouble. Back in the Pacific Northwest, former police detective turned private investigator Jon Brazuca is looking into the overdose death of a billionaire's mistress. His search uncovers a ruthless opiate ring and a startling connection to Nora, the infuriatingly distant woman he'd once tried to befriend. He has no way to warn or protect her, because she's become a ghost, vanishing completely off the grid.

Focused on the mysterious events of her father's past and the clues they provide to her own fractured identity and that of her estranged daughter, Nora may not be able to see the danger heading her way until it's too late. But it's not her father's old ties that could get her killed—it's her own.

Nora Watts isn't your typical friend, sister, or even PI-in-training. She's antisocial, a bit abrupt in her speech and manners, but she can be loyal to those she cares about. Nora is no longer working as a private investigator-in-training as her previous bosses have separated. She's now working with one of them, a retired journalist, who's trying to finish writing his memoirs before the cancer that's decimating his body kills him off. She's moved into his home along with her dog Whisper. She's maintaining contact with her biological daughter through brief text messages at her daughter's request. She's even tried to mend her relationship with her sister and brother-in-law, as much as they can be mended. She knows that Seb is going downhill fast and she knows there's nothing that she can do but be there for him when someone approaches her about her father and his past. All Nora knows about her father is that he was indigenous Canadian, adopted by an American family, and he killed himself when she was young. Shortly before he killed himself, her mother walked out on the family. Both she and her sister were raised in the foster care system and she's made her peace with that part of her past, or she thought she had until this man arrives and opens old wounds. The only way Nora can deal is to confront her father's past and that means a trip to his adopted hometown of Detroit. Shortly after arriving there, Nora is attacked by two thugs, stalked, and more. What secrets did her parents have over 30 years ago that people would still want to protect today? Will Nora be able to find these secrets before it's too late?

If you read my review of The Lost Ones last year, you'll know that I loved that story and the character of Nora Watts. Well, it's been a year and now that I've read In The Grip of It and It All Falls Down, I have even more respect for this character. Nora is gritty, impulsive, tough, and above all, a survivor. She's also loyal and can be sensitive when you least expect it. It All Falls Down gives us more of Nora's backstory and with that comes an understanding of what she had to go through as a child. We also learn more about her parents and their influence on her worldview. In addition to Nora's story from Vancouver to Detroit, the reader learns that there are ties between the Triad, Nora's daughter's abduction from the past year, and Nora. There's a lot of action in this story. I could tell you all about it, but then you wouldn't need to read the book at all. What I can say is that I enjoyed the pace of this story, the characters, the action, and the settings. Ms. Kamal has crafted two stories that appear to function separately but are seamlessly intertwined. The characters and action are wholly believable and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. If you've read The Lost Ones, then you'll definitely want to grab a copy of It All Falls Down. If you enjoy mysteries or thrillers and you haven't read either book, what are you waiting for? Go, grab a copy of The Lost Ones to read before It All Falls Down is released. Trust me, you'll want to read this series. You can thank me later.

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